Follower of One : Missions For The Rest Of Us

Some ask where the idea for Follower of One came from. I love to talk about leadership. Many of the world's problems can be solved through better, servant leadership. Years ago some friends and I discussed what defined a leader. Someone said that a leader si someone who has followers. But I bristled. I don't like to think of myself as a follower. I want to lead. I love to take initiative and to encourage people to work together on a common goal. Why would anyone want to be a follower.

Even as I said what I said and wrote a blog post about it, I knew there was a problem. I don't want to be a follower, but there is this one person who insists I follow him. Here's his command, but stated in an illustration to one of the 3 core leaders of the 11 who would become Jesus' apostles. "You follow Me." (NASB)

Our life doesn't work unless we remember our place. Life works when we follow Jesus. It's broken otherwise. So our goal is to live following Jesus. He will use our lives to make a difference, sometimes as a leader, and other times as an individual contributor. Every day I hope to remind myself that I follow Jesus. He's my boss and my leader. He calls the shots.

Each day, I ask for my assignment. I punch in and tell him, "Here I am," just like Abraham, Jacob and Isaiah did. Will you punch in today? Will you follow Jesus? He will make our lives matter when we flip that switch.

Everything we do is designed to help you follow Jesus more closely, moment by moment, one person and one interaction at a time. Would you consider supporting this effort? Head over to FollowerOfOne.org and click the donate button to make a year-end contribution. 

Theologians call it common grace. God offers certain things to us simply because we're humans. We get gravity, nice weather, beauty. Other things he gives to some more than others, but the criteria for the gift is unknown to us. In this verse, Jesus uses these characteristics of God as a guide and a motivation for our behavior.

Why love your enemies? Because God does. Loving our enemies is something we do because we want to be like God and do what he says. But our natural state, or at least the state we're in between when we're born and when we begin following Jesus, we would never love our neighbors. We love ourselves. Everyone else is on their own at best or they're an obstacle, a hinderance. 

One key difference between a Christ-follower and everyone else is that we watch over those who wouldn't go out of their way for us. Not only did God not kill us when we became his enemy, but he went to all of the trouble of dying on the cross for us. He went out of his way to do what was best for us even when we wouldn't swerve to miss him. 

Do you have the courage to judge your own graciousness today? Mike talks about how giving grace is a challenge for him. Let's be honest and trust Jesus to use us to give grace because of what he did. Thanks for being a follower of One!

Don't forget to check out our partner podcasts, too. They're iWork4Him.com with Jim and Martha Brangenberg, YourFaithatWork.org by Ryan S. Howard, and the Morning Mindset with Carey Green at CareyGreen.com. And let us know about any other podcasts you enjoy listening to. Thanks for being a marketplace minister.

Interesting passage. God basically says that he creates calamity and darkness. Can we believe in and follow a God so big that we can't understand him? I spent many years judging God. Then, when I started following Jesus, I realized he wasn't who I thought he was. We can believe there is a great struggle between good and evil, but these chapters in Isaiah, God clearly claims his power over all. 

Can you believe in a God who creates darkness and calamity or disaster? This prophesy is happening 150 years before Cyrus becomes king of Persia and lets the Jews return from captivity. The captivity was from God. He claims that in several places, too. 

Often, I don't believe he knows. I don't believe he cares. But when I examine my thoughts, and when I force myself to make them consistent, then I realize he is in control. I can choose to take part, and enjoy the blessings and the relationship or suffer the consequences. 

Today, in my weakness, I choose to take part. I choose to follow Jesus. And that causes me to find ways to pray for others, appreciate them and serve them. What will you do today? Will you join Jesus? Do you want to cement your faith into your life? Change your environment. Join our community. Make a monthly financial commitment. Go public and share our content online. Leave a marker in your life and don't go back. Choose today to follow Jesus more closely and then trust him to make it happen. You can do everything I just mentioned at https://FollowerOfOne.org. Or do it somewhere else. But don't waste another day with a small God.

In this week's episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike speaks with Shae Bynes. Shae is an entrepreneur with over 18 years of business and strategy experience. She is the current Founder and Chief Fire Igniter at Kingdom Driven Entrepreneur. Kingdom Driven Entrepreneur has the mission to inspire, teach, and mentor entrepreneurs who desire to be led by God in their business, so they can experience His best and have a greater Kingdom impact in the marketplace. Please give her a warm welcome to the community! 

Episode Breakdown

00:50 - Meet Shae Bynes

1:50 - Kingdom Driven Entrepreneur 

3:55 - Shae's Book - Grace Over Grind

6:00 - Partnering with God

9:30 - How to be More "Kingdom Driven" 

12:45 - How to Grow Confidence in Hearing God Speak to You

14:35 - HIS Work in Business Marketing 

18:15 - Starting Point for Entrepreneurs in the Now

Surrender Your To-Do List

All of us have things we need to do each day, our "checklist". Even if that thing of the day is to rest, how we structure our day is extremely important. Shae talks about surrendering our to-do list to God every day. This can be difficult as most of the things we accomplish each day can be done with the knowledge we have, but, what if we let God's knowledge lead us in these tasks? God is our source and knows much more than we could ever dream to know. You can make your lists each day but we need to start letting God tell us HOW to do our tasks instead of assuming we know all there is to know. How have you let God speak to you in our daily life? This is a great first step in taking the time to speak with God each day!

Learn to Hear God

After surrounding our "to-do list" how do we know what God is telling us? How do we hear God more? Shae has another great piece of advice on listening to God more frequently and it all starts with scripture. As you study the Bible, ask God to give you more insight into your personal life upon the words you are reading. Once you can hear what God says, apply it practically to your life. Then you can begin to use this technique in other books besides the Bible! Listen to this interview with Shae to learn more but as we try and do this, reflect to learn. How do you hear God now? Does he speak to you? What aspects of your life do you hear Him more in? Take it all in and learn to hear God more! 

Connect with Shae

Shae's LinkedIn

Kingdom Driven Entrepreneur Website

Shae's Books

Podcast Links

Kingdom Driven Books and Courses

Connect With Follower Of One

Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app. Be a part of our next Marketplace Mission Trip!

James tells us a certain type of person shouldn't expect wisdom from God. We've been talking about expectations for a few days. Do you expect God to show up at work? Do you expect God to use you? Do you expect God to make a difference in the lives of others at work?

James warns us not to expect much from God if we're double-minded. This word is only used twice in the New Testament, both in James. It means double-spirited. We can't decide between our flesh or the world and God.

Have you ever heard that if you chase 2 rabbits, you will catch none? When we expect God to act, he wants us to expect it the way we trust our chair. I know a man who said he never put all of his weight on an airplane. Being single minded means trusting God. We can't do anything to keep the airplane in the air. James suggests we are unstable if we don't trust God. Trusting God produces stability, but it is also the condition where what we expect comes to pass.

God will do what he will do. If we expect God to do what we want, we'll be wrong. God does what he wants. If your expectations seldom happen, practice expecting God to do what he wants. We know God wants everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) so we can expect God to work to that end. If he's not doing what we expect, we probably expect the wrong things. 

Does this podcast help you spend more time with God at work? If so, would you consider making a contribution. Your regular financial support will help us reach and mobilize more workplace Christ-followers, and it will help you further integrate your faith and your life. Please go to www.FollowerOfOne.org and click Donate to become a monthly donor. Thanks for expecting God to give you joy in your daily job. Your actions matter.

What does it mean to wait for God? I think "wait" is a bit of an unfortunate translation. What do you expect from God today? Most days I went to work with no thought or expectation of God. Can we expect more of him than he can deliver? We enter our workplaces with little or no expectation of God and we get exactly what we expect - not because God didn't deliver, but because we are unaware.

I've noticed that others are impacted on our Marketplace Mission Trips because their expectations change. We purposely involve God in what we're doing and then we're surprised when we see him work. He's working all the time. He wants to make a difference in the life of everyone you meet.

Do you rely on energy drinks? I don't think I've ever had one. When something is happening, I will be awake, engaged, excited. And when nothing is happening, I can relax, even sleep. When we expect God to act, we get wings. We can fly. And we can sprint, or walk long distances because we know we will see God. Our expectations are the only things that change. 

Change your expectations. Get to know God. Focus totally on Jesus and his plan, and over time you will see him in everything you do, including the most tedious and painful part of your job. Expect more of God, in line with his character, and your life will change. So will the lives of everyone around you. Expect God to work, and to put you to work. We simply need to understand him better so our expectations are in line with his actions! Try it out today.

Please consider making a year-end contribution to Follower of One to help others hear this podcast and join Jesus at work. Go to www.FollowerOfOne.org and click Donate. Thank you for your marketplace ministry.

Do we expect God to punish us? Did we expect our parents to punish us? My relationship with God was like my relationship with my father. I thought if God knew everything about me he wouldn't be happy. I tried to hide things from my parents and I tried to hide from God, too. As a result, my experience with God was a letdown. I didn't see him do much for me, and I didn't do much "for" him either. 

But recently, I've begun to adjust my expectations of God. Don't hear me say he is a divine vending machine. God is working his plan. He is saving everyone he can. We can join him and experience his life, his joy, and his peace, hope and love. Or we can go our own way and live selfishly. The end of that path is death.

Jesus continues his thought from our podcast yesterday by telling us about God's character. Who doesn't want to give good gifts to their kids? Who doesn't want to see their children successful and happy? Why wouldn't we also credit God with that same desire. He wants to see us excel forever.

Like yesterday, let's expect God to be the loving father and almighty creator he is. Then we will see our chances to join him and we will experience his joy and purpose in our lives. Expect to see God work. Ask and keep asking. Don't give up. Let the scripture inform you about Jesus, and then go and do what he says. 

Has this podcast been an encouragement to you? Why not tell one friend about it today. And please also make a contribution to help us continue our service to Christians in the marketplace. Go to www.FollowerOfOne.org and click Donate to become a monthly partner.

What do you expect from Jesus on a daily basis? If our life doesn't measure up to our eternal potential, who will we blame? Jesus says here to ask and keep asking, seek and keep seeking, knock and keep knocking. Why? Why does following Jesus have to be so hard? If Jesus is so powerful, why must salvation be so difficult? Why must enjoying Jesus be so much of a challenge?

I think the key is buried in our fallen nature. We want to go on our own. We were created with ability and power. We are created in God's image. As a result, we all turned away to our own way. We try to do everything on our own. 

What if we only enjoy Jesus when we're looking for him. I think the only key to enjoying God daily is our expectations. If I expect him to act, I'll see it. And if I don't expect Jesus to work, then I won't see it. Often Jesus gives us a chance to participate, but it looks like work. We don't want to serve. We don't want to put others first. Our sin caused the world to break. And in this broken world, everything looks opposite. But when we expect to see Jesus, he shows up. 

Ask and keep asking. Seek and keep seeking, Knock and keep knocking. The difference between enjoying Jesus and being miserable is what we expect.

Want to try it out? Give something away. Pay something forward. You can donate to this ministry by going to www.followerofone.org and clicking Donate. You will help others enjoy this podcast and our online community. Or you can donate to anything else. Ask Jesus who to help and then act. 

How do you become strong in the Lord? Mike spent many years as he says, whining about his circumstances. But he also says he thinks the power of God becomes visible when others can see our joy and our servant hearts in times of struggle.

When things are going well, everyone expects us to be joyful. But joy from God transcends our circumstances. All of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) does. Jesus becomes visible when our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are visible through our circumstances. 

This was a celebration. They completed building the wall. They read God's word for hours and everyone enjoyed it. The people wept, but both Nehemiah and Ezra and the other leaders comforted the people and encouraged them. Joy from God strengthens us. The power and the possibility of God, not just in this life, but forever, can be a source of joy and that joy becomes strength to endure, even overcome, hardship. 

How are you doing today? Can we pray for you? Send a note to [email protected] and we'll pray for you. Ask God to show you his joy and that joy can become the strength to endure whatever you're facing. And please share this podcast with a friend to encourage them, too.

In this week's episode of the Follower of One podcast, Mike talks with Mark Griffin. Mark has over 25 years of HR experience and currently represents the Founder and President of In HIS Name HR, LLC. In HIS Name HR has a mission to provide world-class Human Resources support to both profit and non-profit organizations. Proper HR practices will help achieve organizational results. Please welcome him to the community!

Episode Breakdown

00:50 - Meet Mark Griffin

1:25 - Mark's Path to Now

2:25 - Mark's Story to Faith

4:50 - Mark's Journey to Lancaster

6:15 - In HIS Name HR, LLC

9:45 - Mark's Services to his Clients 

13:40 - "College to Career" - Mark's Book

15:15 - Mark's Advice for Keeping Your Faith Engaged

18:05 - Find a Mentor

19:15 - Become A Modern Day Disciple with your Work

24:40 - Connect With Mark

Love People

A good reminder for all of us during these times and beyond is to love people. Love people where they are, who they are, and for what they are at all times. This is probably one of the most difficult things we struggle with because emotions are scattered from week to week, month to month, and even year to year. Mark highlights this as one of the most important things we can do for each other in times of need. How do we love people more? It all starts with judgment and grace. We need to judge less, be more understanding, and extend grace to everyone around us. As we all know, we are not perfect but being made in the image of God is powerful and we should all strive to be more like Jesus every day!

Find a Mentor

This applies to everyone. Whether you have a job or not, a mentor is the most influential and steady sources of support you can get. When we apply it across our lives, especially in the workplace, we understand that nothing can be obtained just by ourselves. Find someone who knows more than you and pushes you to be better at your craft. Build a deeper relationship with someone that provides you with greater strength when the times are tough, and less friction when you need to get something done. Mark speaks to the fact that he could have never been as successful as he is without successful people around him helping him. That is our prayer for everyone listening. Find a mentor, trust in them, and start building a more successful YOU! 

Interview Quote

" We need to love everyone where they are, we can't judge, we can't question.. We need to love people and leave the judgement to the Lord"

Connect with Mark

Mark's LinkedIn

In HIS Name HR Website

In HIS Name HR Facebook

Mark's Book: How to Build "Kingdom - Minded" Organizations 

Mark's Book: College to Career - The Student Guide to Career and Life Navigation 

Connect With Follower Of One

Join us over in our Online Community, get social with us; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Listen to our podcast on your way to work and subscribe using your favorite podcast app. Be a part of our next Marketplace Mission Trip!